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Feather Peak over Vee Lake
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This trip was to be our big backpacking outing of the summer - a week spent exploring some pretty remote locations and connecting to areas we've been before and loved. But only days before our departure all the August fires in California started filling the state with smoke. On an outing just two days before we left, we hiked in Yosemite with virtually unbreathable conditions (it got worse as the day went on). But the day before cleared locally, so we decided to go for it. So glad we did. For the most part of our 7 days out we had near perfect conditions. Occasionally a little haze would be evident, and the last morning started out pretty awful, but it all worked out in the end. Our route would take us up and over Piute Pass and down into Hutchinson Meadow, an area we've been many times. From Hutchinson though we would ascend the steep canyon wall and explore the two forks of Pinnacles Creek separated by the amazing Pinnacles ridge. From there we crossed and obscure peak (pass) and dropped into Three Island Lake. Following that drainage down we turned up the East Fork of Bear Creek and climbed into the Bear Lakes Basin. We left Bear Lakes via the south exit over Feather Pass before descending to French Canyon. A climb up the south wall of French got us to Alsace Lake for an evening. Another obscure pass on the east shoulder of Pilot Knob had us returning to Piute Canyon in the Humphreys Basin. A traverse of this basin put us at Piute Pass again for the quick trip down to the trailhead. This route was completely invented at home staring at topo maps and reading various trips reports from others. It worked out perfectly to make a complete circuit around the beautiful Seven Gables (Peak) and visit some of the most beautiful and remote country in the Sierra Nevada. The vast majority of the trip was above 10,500 feet elevation, reaching as high as 12,320 feet at Feather Pass. About 2/3 of the trip was off trail.
Birding in the High Sierra in late August typically has much less diversity as earlier in the season. Breeding is over and many of the neotropical migrants have moved on. But it is migration season so anything can happen. And for us on this trip it was raptor migration that was amazing. Not so much the total numbers, but the variety. We had both eagles (Bald, Golden), three falcons (Peregrine, Prairie, American Kestrel), two accipiters (Cooper's, Sharp-shinned), Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, and Northern Harrier. Out of 50 total species seen on the trip, 10 were raptors! All above 10,000 feet elevation!
I will include a sample of our eBird lists below, but its not all inclusive. Susan did 23 lists on our travels.
Day 1 - Piute Pass trailhead to East Fork Pinnacles Creek (13 miles, 3,500 ft. gain)
Piute Pass (Inyo) eBird list
Piute Pass (Fresno) eBird list
Moccasin Lakes eBird list
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Loch Leven Lake on the approach to Piute Pass
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| Looking west from Piute Pass |
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Mt Humphreys over Humphreys Basin
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The Glacial Divide south of Piute Canyon
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| Climbing above Piute Canyon to East Pinnacles, Pilot Knob on the left |
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Reaching the first ponds of East Pinnacles
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Still some tricky hiking to go to get in the East Pinnacles basin
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| We reach Little Moccasin Lake and call it a day |
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The evening view from camp, over Piute Canyon, 2000 feet below
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Day 2 - Explore East Pinnacles Creek and traverse to West Pinnacles Creek (7 miles, 1,600 ft. gain)
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Morning breaks while we explore East Pinnacles basin
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East Pinnacles Basin
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The Pinnacles ridge separates East and West Pinnacles Creeks
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Still a few wildflowers in the high country
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The upper reaches of East Pinnacles basin
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As we travel back down, the Pinnacles really show their form
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Big Moccasin Lake
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Traversing from East to West Pinnacles, on a bench
2,000 feet above Piute Canyon. Pilot Knob in the center.
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The lower end of West Pinnacles hold some great slot lakes, like Spearpoint here
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Pendent Lake
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Spearpoint Lake
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Big Chief Lake and our camp for the evening
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An after dinner jaunt gives a great view of Spearpoint Lake from above
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The after dinner objective - Hoopah Lake in a side canyon
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Day 3 - West Pinnacles basin to Three Island Lake, via Pass Peak 11,840 (4 miles, 1,200 ft. gain)
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It's morning, and time to hike up West Pinnacles Creek
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Looking back at the downstream end of the basin in morning light
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One of several waterfalls on West Pinnacles Creek
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Some tricky hiking
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Old Squaw Lake
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Wampum Lake
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Two different granites in one rock
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Cool glacial erratic
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Looking back as we head toward the pass
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The pass ridge
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On the pass ridge, looking down at Upper Turret Lakes
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From the pass ridge, our first look down at the day's destination of Three Island Lake
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Crossing Pass Peak 11,840
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Plenty of talus hopping
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Looking down from the saddle of Senger Creek toward Sharp Note Lake and Three Island Lake
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Descending the talus from the saddle
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Looking back up at the saddle, and the talus route down
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Three Island Lake from our camp on a bench 200 feet above the lake
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Three Island Lake in beautiful evening light
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Day 4 - Three Island Lake to Vee Lake (7 miles, 1,700 ft. gain)
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Leaving our delightful spot on the bench above Three Island Lake
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Down canyon to Medley Lakes
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Medley Lakes is a complicated series of tarns and granite ridges
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Sandpiper Lake. No, we didn't see any sandpipers.
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Sandpiper Lake
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Our last lake in the South Fork Bear Creek, Lou Beverly Lake
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Turning the corner and heading up the East Fork Bear Creek
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East Fork Bear Creek
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Not all easy walking
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The Seven Gables ridge is on our right as we move up canyon
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East Fork Bear Creek as we approach the Seven Gables Lakes Basin
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Seven Gables ridge
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The top of East Fork Bear Creek canyon as we enter Seven Gables Lakes basin
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The first of the Seven Gables Lakes
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Looking back from where we came, down the East Fork Bear Creek to the west
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Looking South into the Seven Gables Lakes basin
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From our campsite near the outlet of Vee Lake, east to Feather Peak and Bear Lakes Basin
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Feather Peak over Vee Lake in gorgeous alpenglow evening light
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Day 5 - Vee Lake to Bear Lakes Basin, with some exploring (4 miles, 1,000 feet gain)
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The sun rises on Seven Gables
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Seven Gables and The Gemini as the sun rises
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Seven Gables as we walk along Vee Lake toward Bear Lakes Basin
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Seven Gables over Vee Lake
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Seven Gables, The Gemini, and Vee Lake
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Seven Gables, The Gemini, and Vee Lake
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Ursa Lake in the Bear Lakes Basin
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Big Bear Lake
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Big Bear Lake with Seven Gables beyond as we day hike to Coronet Lake
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Coronet Lake in a secluded basin above Bear Lakes Basin. Seven Gables on the left
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Big Bear, Ursa, and Bearpaw Lakes from the Coronet Lake ridge. Feather Peak on the back left
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Looking down on Little Bear Lake from the ridge
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Panorama of the Bear Lakes Basin
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Coming down the steep ramps and cliffs from the Coronet Lake ridge
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Feather Peak from our camp near Bearpaw Lake
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Feather Peak and Bearpaw Lake in evening alpenglow
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Day 6 - Bear Lakes Basin to Alsace Lake in French Canyon, via Feather Pass (7.5 miles, 1,200 ft. gain)
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Feather Peak and Pass in early morning shade
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Looking back down to Bear Lakes Basin as we ascend the pass
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Lots of talus to navigate around as we go up
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The 'feather' edge of Feather Peak
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The creek running down from the pass looks like a paver stone sidewalk in places
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Pushing up to the pass
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Feather Peak ridge
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The final tricky bit at the top, nothing too scary. Bear Lakes Basin below.
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Looking into Bear Lakes Basin from the pass
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And in the other direction, the basin with La Salle and Merriam Lakes
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Talus hopping down to La Salle Lake
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From La Salle Lake, Feather Peak in the middle with the pass just left of the peak
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Heading down to Merriam Lake
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Looking back from just below Merriam Lake
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As we travel a short section of the French Canyon trail
we pass the outlet dramatic waterfall from Royse Lakes
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Climbing the bench on the side of French Canyon to
Alsace Lake, looking across to Royse and Merriam Peaks
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Alsace Lake with Pilot Knob. Our objective for the next
day will be over the pass to the left of Pilot Knob.
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Alsace Lake from our camp spot
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Alsace Lake
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Elephant Head flower going to seed. It looks like ice crystals.
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Pilot Knob in evening light with our pass for the next day in the center
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Day 7 - Alsace Lake to Piute Pass trailhead, via Pilot Knob Pass and Humphreys Basin (10.5 miles, 1,000 ft. gain)
